Experiencing digestive issues after eating certain foods? You might be dealing with a food intolerance. A food intolerance, while generally not life-threatening, can significantly impact your well-being, causing uncomfortable symptoms after you consume specific foods or food ingredients.
Recognizing Food Intolerance: What Are the Symptoms?
Symptoms of food intolerance typically appear a few hours after you’ve eaten the problematic food. While digestive issues are most common, food intolerance can manifest in various ways.
Common signs include:
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Excessive gas (farting)
- Abdominal pain
However, food intolerance symptoms aren’t limited to the gut. You might also experience:
- Headaches
- Fatigue or unexplained exhaustion
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Joint pain
- Skin rashes
These symptoms can range in duration, lasting from a few hours to several days, making it crucial to identify potential food triggers.
Image: A vibrant bowl of salad, illustrating diverse food ingredients that could potentially trigger intolerances. Alt text: Colorful salad representing various foods that may cause food intolerance symptoms.
Food Intolerance vs. Food Allergy: Understanding the Difference
It’s important to distinguish food intolerance from a food allergy. While both involve adverse reactions to food, they differ significantly. Food allergies trigger the immune system and can cause immediate and severe reactions like itchy skin, wheezing, or swelling of the lips, face, and eyes. Food intolerance, on the other hand, does not involve the immune system in the same way and is generally not life-threatening, although it can seriously affect your quality of life.
When to Seek Medical Advice for a Food Intolerance Check
While food intolerance isn’t an emergency, persistent symptoms warrant a visit to your doctor.
Non-urgent advice: Consult a GP if:
- You or your child experience recurring symptoms suggestive of a food intolerance.
Immediate Action Required: When to Call Emergency Services (999)
In contrast to food intolerance, a food allergy can cause severe, immediate reactions. Call 999 immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms, as they may indicate a serious allergic reaction requiring urgent hospital treatment:
- Sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, throat, or tongue
- Rapid or labored breathing, wheezing, choking sensation, or gasping for air
- Tightness in the throat or difficulty swallowing
- Blue, grey, or pale skin, tongue, or lips (especially noticeable on palms or soles for darker skin tones)
- Sudden confusion, drowsiness, or dizziness
- Fainting or unresponsiveness
- In a child: limpness, floppiness, unresponsiveness, head tilting, difficulty lifting head or focusing.
These severe allergic reaction symptoms might also be accompanied by a swollen, raised, or itchy rash.
Image: Illustration depicting skin rashes, a common symptom of allergic reactions, emphasizing the difference from food intolerance. Alt text: Skin rash illustration highlighting a symptom of food allergy, contrasting with food intolerance.
What Causes Food Intolerance?
Food intolerance arises when your body struggles to digest a particular food or food component. Unlike food allergies, it’s not an immune system overreaction. Instead, it often involves difficulty breaking down certain substances.
Lactose intolerance is the most prevalent food intolerance. It occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, a sugar primarily found in milk and dairy products.
However, intolerance can develop to a wide range of foods and ingredients, including:
- Gluten (wheat, rye, and barley) – present in bread, pasta, and many baked goods.
- Histamine – found in fermented foods and drinks like wine and cheese.
- Caffeine – present in coffee, tea, and some carbonated beverages.
- Alcohol
- Sulphites – additives found in cider, beer, and wine.
- Salicylates – naturally occurring compounds in certain fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG) – an additive found in ripened fruits, cured meats, and savory snacks.
Food Intolerance Check: How is it Diagnosed?
If your GP suspects a food intolerance, they may refer you to a food and nutrition specialist, a dietitian. Several methods are used for a Food Intolerance Check:
- Elimination Diet: This involves removing suspected food(s) from your diet and monitoring symptom improvement. After a period, the food is reintroduced to observe if symptoms return. This is a key part of a food intolerance check.
- Blood Tests: While not always conclusive for general food intolerance, blood tests can help rule out other conditions or assess specific intolerances.
- Breath Test: Primarily used for lactose intolerance, this test measures hydrogen levels in your breath after consuming lactose.
- Food and Symptom Diary: Keeping a detailed record of your meals and any subsequent symptoms can help identify potential food triggers.
Important Warning: Home Food Intolerance Tests
Be cautious of home testing kits claiming to diagnose food intolerances. These tests are generally not recommended due to limited evidence of their accuracy. They may lead to unnecessary dietary restrictions, potentially causing nutritional deficiencies. A proper food intolerance check should ideally be guided by a healthcare professional.
Managing Food Intolerance: Dietary Adjustments
The primary treatment for food intolerance is to avoid or reduce consumption of the offending food or ingredient. Carefully check food labels for hidden ingredients.
However, it’s crucial to seek advice from a GP or dietitian before eliminating foods, especially from a child’s diet. Unnecessary dietary restrictions can lead to nutritional deficiencies, which are particularly concerning for growing children. A dietitian can help you create a balanced eating plan while managing your food intolerance.
Image: A dietitian consulting with a patient, emphasizing professional guidance in managing food intolerances. Alt text: Dietitian advising a patient, highlighting the importance of professional guidance for managing food intolerance through diet.
Page last reviewed: 25 November 2022
Next review due: 25 November 2025
